Oosterveen, Willem --- "The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds and Dealing with the Masses" [2011] ELECD 632; in Steele, Jenny; van Boom, H. Willem (eds), "Mass Justice" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Mass Justice

Editor(s): Steele, Jenny; van Boom, H. Willem

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781849805063

Section: Chapter 11

Section Title: The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds and Dealing with the Masses

Author(s): Oosterveen, Willem

Number of pages: 20

Extract:

11. The International Oil Pollution
Compensation Funds and dealing
with the masses
Willem Oosterveen

1. INTRODUCTION

The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) are
three intergovernmental organisations established by states (the 1971
Fund, the 1992 Fund and the Supplementary Fund) that provide compen-
sation to victims of oil pollution damage caused by spills of persistent oil
from tankers.
This chapter sets out the experience of the IOPC Funds over the years in
dealing with mass claims for damage, suffered as a result of major oil spill
incidents in connection with the carriage of persistent oil by sea. A number
of complications, relevant to the theme of dealing with the masses, which
have occurred or may occur in the context of the activities of the IOPC
Funds are outlined. These potentially endanger the proper functioning of
the international convention regime and, as a result, the support for the
regime by the international community may decrease. Issues connected
with the subject of dealing with the masses are therefore important to the
IOPC Funds.
Because of the particular role and position of the IOPC Funds in the
context of large scale oil pollution incidents, they are involved in the rel-
evant processes from various angles. They are involved on the practical
side, since the IOPC Funds finance and manage all experts, surveyors and
administrative staff dealing with an incident from their London headquar-
ters and are also closely involved in their work on a daily basis through the
Funds' claims managers and ...